December 10, 2025 • 20 mins
This week on American Family Farmer, Doug Stephan introduces listeners to one of the most unique farms in America, Westmeister Farm in Shelby, Ohio, where exotic animals, agritourism, and wellness come together in the most unexpected ways.
Owner and farmer Lynn Westmeister joins Doug to share how her private, appointment-only farm has become a peaceful haven for both animals and visitors. Westmeister Farm is home to a remarkable lineup of residents, from Asian small-clawed otters to zebras, sloths, kangaroos, owls, porcupines, highland cows, and more. But what truly sets the farm apart is its focus on intimate, low-stress, hands-on encounters designed to foster meaningful human–animal connection.
Lynn explains how Westmeister’s two-hour private tours, otter swim sessions, and creative “animal add-on” experiences allow guests to slow down, be present, and experience wildlife up close, often for the very first time. And at the heart of these offerings is the farm’s now-famous “Go with the Flow Otter Yoga,” recently highlighted by People.com and hailed as the world’s only yoga class featuring otters.
Doug and Lynn dig into how this gentle, slow-flow class merges movement, mindfulness, animal therapy, and pure joy. Listeners will hear how the farm’s otters, Harbor and Cove, enrich the experience with their curiosity, playfulness, and occasional “yoga poses” of their own; and, why the farm’s low-noise, no-crowds environment is essential to keeping both the animals and guests comfortable.
Lynn also shares how Westmeister Farm represents a growing evolution in modern agriculture, which blends education, ethical animal care, wellness, and community outreach into new forms of farm-based experiences.
It’s an inspiring conversation about creativity in farming, the power of human–animal connection, and the incredible things that can happen when a farm reimagines what’s possible. Learn more at westmeister.com
Listen now and prepare to fall in love with a couple of very mischievous otters.
Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
Owner and farmer Lynn Westmeister joins Doug to share how her private, appointment-only farm has become a peaceful haven for both animals and visitors. Westmeister Farm is home to a remarkable lineup of residents, from Asian small-clawed otters to zebras, sloths, kangaroos, owls, porcupines, highland cows, and more. But what truly sets the farm apart is its focus on intimate, low-stress, hands-on encounters designed to foster meaningful human–animal connection.
Lynn explains how Westmeister’s two-hour private tours, otter swim sessions, and creative “animal add-on” experiences allow guests to slow down, be present, and experience wildlife up close, often for the very first time. And at the heart of these offerings is the farm’s now-famous “Go with the Flow Otter Yoga,” recently highlighted by People.com and hailed as the world’s only yoga class featuring otters.
Doug and Lynn dig into how this gentle, slow-flow class merges movement, mindfulness, animal therapy, and pure joy. Listeners will hear how the farm’s otters, Harbor and Cove, enrich the experience with their curiosity, playfulness, and occasional “yoga poses” of their own; and, why the farm’s low-noise, no-crowds environment is essential to keeping both the animals and guests comfortable.
Lynn also shares how Westmeister Farm represents a growing evolution in modern agriculture, which blends education, ethical animal care, wellness, and community outreach into new forms of farm-based experiences.
It’s an inspiring conversation about creativity in farming, the power of human–animal connection, and the incredible things that can happen when a farm reimagines what’s possible. Learn more at westmeister.com
Listen now and prepare to fall in love with a couple of very mischievous otters.
Website: AmericanFamilyFarmerShow.com
Social Media: @GoodDayNetworks
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The American Family Farmer podcast, sponsored in part by Caldron,
The Safe proven Way to Lose weight. Check it all
out at toploss dot com. I'm Doug Stefan. This is
the American Family Farmer. Westmeister Farmer is in Shelby, Ohio,
and Lynn Westmeister is here with us to talk about
what goes on on her farm.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
There are a number of.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Exotic animals, I understand, So tell me how you came
to be doing what you're doing, Lynn, and welcome to
our program.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Well, thank you, I appreciate the invite. So about ten
years ago, we bought land because we had a horse,
or had supper horses, and the amount we were playing
in board, we could pay for land and build a barn,
and then that just gave us more room for more animals.
So then we just started buying animals. We own and
(00:48):
ran a factory a couple miles down the road, and
it was fun to come home and interact with the
animals and kind of relax and decrease the stress from
the manufacturer.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
So our friends would come out.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
They would bring family, they would bring friends, and everyone
kept saying that we needed to open to the public,
and we thought for years they were just being nice.
We do so much enrichment and educating ourselves and calling
other people for help. That we have a zebra that
(01:22):
you can pet and hug and love all over. And
that's very rare because zebra is a rare territorial and
aggressive and Lincoln, our six year old grant zebra, is
the sweetest thing.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
So how did you come to have Lincoln? Where did
Lincoln come from?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
She came from a facility in Texas. We got her
when she was four months old. Yeah, we bought raised
her and we we got her in September, so that
winter we spent a lot of time with her, touching
head to toe, kind of desensitizing her to touch so
(02:01):
that there was not a reaction to her action, to
show her that if she kicked or bucked, there wasn't
going to stop what was going on, that it wasn't
a negative situation. And so today she is six years
old and she can be touched anywhere.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
So that's kind of sweet.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Have you applied that same sort of system to other
animals that you may have that are more common or
is it you're trying to bring in common animals in
more exotic animals for people to get to know.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
So our zebra was technically the first big exotic. The
first exotic was a tortoise that I got as a
Christmas gift, and you can't. I mean, Oscar's very calm
and interactivable. He lived in our house for like three years,
so he grew up with the dogs. We also raised
(02:58):
the kangaroo in the house, so he's very desensitized to
a lot of different things. And when we moved from
a larger house to this small little farmhouse on the land,
we had to put him in his own enclosure here
at the farm, and he doesn't travel around as much
in his enclosure as he did.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
He kind of hangs.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Out on his bed or hangs out underneath this heater,
and then that's it.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
You get to bring him treats. He doesn't come to treats.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
He kind of got a little bit of a rock
star attitude when it comes to that where people are
coming in to see him. He knows that they're going
to come to him, and he doesn't have to come
to them.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
So one of the reasons that I invited you to
come here today is because you give people some things
to think about. It doesn't necessarily mean one of the
things that I'm looking at doing on my farm, for example,
are some more conventional animals, but with the same approach
that you've tried here, having people come and benefit from
(03:59):
tching the animals from being perhaps lowering their stress levels.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And that's sort they're fighting different experiences.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
So our suggestion isn't necessarily that you go to the
extent that Lynn has gone. But this is a good
example of how a farm can provide circumstances, whether they
be private or more public, for all kinds of encounters.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
And that's what I do. I encourage that sort of thing.
I think it's a good thing. It's cool.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Hold on, Lynn, We're going to pause for some items
from the local stations carrying this program, and then will continue.
Lynn Westminster is the owner of the Westminster Farm in Shelby, Ohio.
Elizabeth Miller comes to us from the folks at Caltron.
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(04:48):
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Speaker 5 (05:01):
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(05:40):
the American Family Farmer, having your conversation with Lynn Westmeister,
who is the owner and operator of a farm in Shelby,
Ohio that carries her name, there are lots of things
that are going on down there. Is there a time
of year when it's more active? I would think summertime
is probably good that I don't know that for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
So where is it that when?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Where and when do you find the most interest in
what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
So groups are welcome and booking all year long. We
do swimming with Honors and that's indoors, so that books
up a lot. In the wintertime, we have to open
the April schedule so for swimming and tours. But I
personally think that the winner is a really good time
(06:30):
to come because the animals are more active, they're not hot,
they're not overheated in any way, which we do everything
we can to make them as comfortable as possible. But
a lot of the animals that are outside prefer the
colder weather.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Well ye all year.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah, the fact that bovines, for example, that's my I've
been around cows all my life and that's where I
find my focus. Cows are much healthier in the winter, frankly,
it's colder as long as they aren't wet.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
And exposed to the wind.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
If they're in shelter and it's cold, they are much
better off than not the same kind of bugs. You know.
It's I think frankly that applies to as you've suggested,
to most animals and most human beings as well. Although
people get sicker in the wintertime, they do in the summertime.
But actually if you really examine when the best health
is the best time of year for a good strong
(07:25):
body and health is when it's wintertime. So anyway, that's
an important thing for us, I think to understand. The
United States Department of Aguaculture has licensed you as a
private animal encounter facility, and I must tell you that
that was the number one reason that I wanted to
have you on because farmers who think that it's exotic,
(07:48):
and yeah, it's a little beyond what most people's approach
might be, but still the USDA takes an interest in it.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
And how did that happen?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
How did it happen that you became a premier licensed
private animal encounter facility. We even knew that that was
something that existed, frankly, So.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
When you start buying exotic animals, they'll advertise that they
are a USDA licensed facility, and they'll say that some
will say they'll only sell to a USDA facility. So
before we start opening to the public and allowing tours,
we got a license. And something we're very proud of
(08:29):
about that license is we've had it since March of
twenty twenty three is when we opened, and we have
had zero write ups or violations or warnings in any way,
shape or form, and we're extremely proud of that, and
we have a good relationship with our USDA agent.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Communication is good.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I respect his suggestions or products that he's talked about
that he's seen the other facilities. I personally feel like
it's a really good advantage to us to have someone
come to our facility that goes to so many facilities
and suggests something or say I like that you did
(09:14):
it this way or something along those lines, because I
don't really I go to other facilities, but I don't
go to anything that I can necessarily learn from the
equipment they use, or the type of hamdifier they use,
or other type of feeding products that they use. So
I'm really thankful for that agent and other agents that
(09:38):
have been here that are so cooperative and work so well,
and respect the fact that we're doing what we're doing,
because a lot of places aren't doing the same quality
that we are.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
No.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
But I think again, the underscore here in part is
that the USDA has licensed you, and the USDA is
looking into it. I find, at least in my neck
of the woods, where there are fewer and fewer farms
all the time. That's one of the things I was
talking about earlier on the program in the news department.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Where we are in terms.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Of stats, how many people are actually farming, how much
acreage and these sorts of things.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Are rare, to be sure, but we're.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Because we're losing farms right and left in my neck
of the woods. The essence of people coming around to
actually understand what we're doing. The locals don't and sometimes
they have good suggestions, common sense suggestions. Sometimes they want
to do stuff that's ridiculous and I push back because
they don't know what they're doing, and so it's kind
(10:38):
of cool that we find out something. And that again,
I've been around on the farm all my life, and
I never knew it was such a thing as a
private animal encounter facility. Although that's something that I'm contemplating
doing in part on my farm.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
So that's lesson number one.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
What part of Ohio is the animals that you have?
They may need to license you.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yes, yeah, Shelby, Ohio. Where is that in relationship to
Cincinnati and Dayton and Cleveland and Toledo.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Okay, so we are in the middle of Columbus and Cleveland,
our nearest larger town would be Mansfield, Right, So.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
You're on seventy what is that seventy one seventy seven.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I'm trying to remember which route that is that goes
across seventy one.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
But you gotta take a few backgrounds.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Yeah, I bet you do. So what do you have
to have for equipment? What sort of things? Is this
normal farm equipment that you need or do you have
to have some things that are special that are just
for the kinds of things that you're doing. I mean,
it's not that this is the only thing that you
do it because you gotta run the farm and raise
the feed. How much of the feed for these animals
(11:49):
do you raise.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
On your own?
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So we have a garden, but I think we have
twelve garden beds, but we can't grow enough produce. We
still have to buy in the summertime, I do a
Walmart drop order or lettuce potatoes like sweet potatoes, zucchini, squash, celery,
(12:14):
probably four times a week.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
But this is good because it instructs as too if
people want to do this sort of thing, what sort
of food you got to have? What kind of feed
you need for these various animals?
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Like what does an otter eat.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
So the otters get two different types of grain. One
is one that you have to have a prescription for.
It's a cat urinary tract because they are very prone
to urinary infections. One is a ferret grain because they
are a ferret and they get squashed zucchini, potato, sweet potatoes,
(12:50):
and then they get so much fish versus how much
they weigh, and then a bag of fish is twenty
bucks I go or two bags a day.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Well, hopefully you've.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Got Obviously you're in business and you're able to keep
things going. I'm sure that there are people who are
donating to keep you going as well. I want to
continue this conversation for a few more minutes with you,
Lynn Westmeister, who is from Westmeister Farm. Go to Westmeister
w E S T M E I S T e
R Westmeister dot com to get the full picture, or
(13:27):
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(13:51):
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Speaker 1 (16:30):
Back here with Lynn Westmeister from the Westmeister Farm in Shelby, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Did you grow up in a farm?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
You a farm kid, Lynn, No, we.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Did live in the country, but we didn't have farm animals.
We did get horses when I was probably sixteen mm.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Hm and so you're familiar with So what gave you
the idea to do this?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
You you started to tell me that story.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
By the way, if you're interested, you go to the
website that I suggest w E S T N E
I S T e R dot com. If you're from
some place in Ohio, listening to this, or you want
to go and see how it works for your own benefit,
your schedule, an appointment online is pretty easy to do that,
and you do these around the all year long, right,
(17:18):
everybody can get in.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
It's a two hour guided tour, so you see twenty
different species and there's a guide there to help you
interact with each animal, get pictures for.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
You, and educate you on the animals.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
The conservation, the behavior of the animal, how the animal
is taken care of.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
For that two hours.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Yeah, I think that this is something because people are
so distant. Again back to the reference that I made
earlier in the program to the number of farms that
we used to have and don't have now and the.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Number of people.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
I just I'm kind of I'm distracted in my own
the neck of the Woods, because I'm really the last
farmer in my community, and for a number of communities
around we become a bedroom Well we have our own
industry here, but we're also a bedroom community for Greater
Boston and Worcester. So the land is becoming increasingly valuable
(18:18):
and it becomes less and less attractive, especially with the
realities of not necessarily what you're going through, but the
average farmer isn't making any money or isn't making much money,
and it makes it very difficult to continue these operations.
So in your circumstance, it would seem that you not
only have the support of the people who come in
(18:39):
book tours and that sort of thing, but you also
have some public support, do you not?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I'm assuming that you do.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
I shouldn't assume that do you have some sort of
public support that helps you go fundraisers and that.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
We are not a five ozho one C because government standards.
You don't own your animals if you're fi will and
see and I won't let go of my animals because
they are they are mine. I'm very bonded to them.
They're very bonded to our staff. So that is why
we're an our five oh one C. We still have
to have plans in certain aspects, like you spoke about
(19:17):
earlier about.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
The next generation and things, and then.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
The public they do bring us some of the snacks
that people see on videos that the animals interact with,
like the vegetables or animal cockers, goats, things like that,
and that's very very helpful. We are thankful for that.
But no, my husband still has a real job and
(19:44):
still has to pay for everything.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Well, God love your husband.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Well, it's a nice story, and it's kind of a
good time of year to be able to bring this
sort of thing to the public's attention into other farmers attention.
Lynn Westmeister from the Westminster Farm, I'm and Shelby, Ohio
with a great story. Check it out at westmeister dot com.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Thank you, Lynn, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
This program was produced at Bobksound and Recording.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Please visit bobksound dot com.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
The American Family Farmer podcast sponsored in part by Caldron,
which is the safe way for you to lose weight
and keep it off.
The American Family Farmer podcast, sponsored in part by Caldron,
The Safe proven Way to Lose weight. Check it all
out at toploss dot com. I'm Doug Stefan. This is
the American Family Farmer. Westmeister Farmer is in Shelby, Ohio,
and Lynn Westmeister is here with us to talk about
what goes on on her farm.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
There are a number of.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Exotic animals, I understand, So tell me how you came
to be doing what you're doing, Lynn, and welcome to
our program.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Well, thank you, I appreciate the invite. So about ten
years ago, we bought land because we had a horse,
or had supper horses, and the amount we were playing
in board, we could pay for land and build a barn,
and then that just gave us more room for more animals.
So then we just started buying animals. We own and
(00:48):
ran a factory a couple miles down the road, and
it was fun to come home and interact with the
animals and kind of relax and decrease the stress from
the manufacturer.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
So our friends would come out.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
They would bring family, they would bring friends, and everyone
kept saying that we needed to open to the public,
and we thought for years they were just being nice.
We do so much enrichment and educating ourselves and calling
other people for help. That we have a zebra that
(01:22):
you can pet and hug and love all over. And
that's very rare because zebra is a rare territorial and
aggressive and Lincoln, our six year old grant zebra, is
the sweetest thing.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
So how did you come to have Lincoln? Where did
Lincoln come from?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
She came from a facility in Texas. We got her
when she was four months old. Yeah, we bought raised
her and we we got her in September, so that
winter we spent a lot of time with her, touching
head to toe, kind of desensitizing her to touch so
(02:01):
that there was not a reaction to her action, to
show her that if she kicked or bucked, there wasn't
going to stop what was going on, that it wasn't
a negative situation. And so today she is six years
old and she can be touched anywhere.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
So that's kind of sweet.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Have you applied that same sort of system to other
animals that you may have that are more common or
is it you're trying to bring in common animals in
more exotic animals for people to get to know.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
So our zebra was technically the first big exotic. The
first exotic was a tortoise that I got as a
Christmas gift, and you can't. I mean, Oscar's very calm
and interactivable. He lived in our house for like three years,
so he grew up with the dogs. We also raised
(02:58):
the kangaroo in the house, so he's very desensitized to
a lot of different things. And when we moved from
a larger house to this small little farmhouse on the land,
we had to put him in his own enclosure here
at the farm, and he doesn't travel around as much
in his enclosure as he did.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
He kind of hangs.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Out on his bed or hangs out underneath this heater,
and then that's it.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
You get to bring him treats. He doesn't come to treats.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
He kind of got a little bit of a rock
star attitude when it comes to that where people are
coming in to see him. He knows that they're going
to come to him, and he doesn't have to come
to them.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
So one of the reasons that I invited you to
come here today is because you give people some things
to think about. It doesn't necessarily mean one of the
things that I'm looking at doing on my farm, for example,
are some more conventional animals, but with the same approach
that you've tried here, having people come and benefit from
(03:59):
tching the animals from being perhaps lowering their stress levels.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And that's sort they're fighting different experiences.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
So our suggestion isn't necessarily that you go to the
extent that Lynn has gone. But this is a good
example of how a farm can provide circumstances, whether they
be private or more public, for all kinds of encounters.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
And that's what I do. I encourage that sort of thing.
I think it's a good thing. It's cool.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Hold on, Lynn, We're going to pause for some items
from the local stations carrying this program, and then will continue.
Lynn Westminster is the owner of the Westminster Farm in Shelby, Ohio.
Elizabeth Miller comes to us from the folks at Caltron.
This is the time of year when I advise people
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(04:48):
So I say, to those of you who are eating
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(05:40):
the American Family Farmer, having your conversation with Lynn Westmeister,
who is the owner and operator of a farm in Shelby,
Ohio that carries her name, there are lots of things
that are going on down there. Is there a time
of year when it's more active? I would think summertime
is probably good that I don't know that for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
So where is it that when?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Where and when do you find the most interest in
what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
So groups are welcome and booking all year long. We
do swimming with Honors and that's indoors, so that books
up a lot. In the wintertime, we have to open
the April schedule so for swimming and tours. But I
personally think that the winner is a really good time
(06:30):
to come because the animals are more active, they're not hot,
they're not overheated in any way, which we do everything
we can to make them as comfortable as possible. But
a lot of the animals that are outside prefer the
colder weather.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Well ye all year.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah, the fact that bovines, for example, that's my I've
been around cows all my life and that's where I
find my focus. Cows are much healthier in the winter, frankly,
it's colder as long as they aren't wet.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
And exposed to the wind.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
If they're in shelter and it's cold, they are much
better off than not the same kind of bugs. You know.
It's I think frankly that applies to as you've suggested,
to most animals and most human beings as well. Although
people get sicker in the wintertime, they do in the summertime.
But actually if you really examine when the best health
is the best time of year for a good strong
(07:25):
body and health is when it's wintertime. So anyway, that's
an important thing for us, I think to understand. The
United States Department of Aguaculture has licensed you as a
private animal encounter facility, and I must tell you that
that was the number one reason that I wanted to
have you on because farmers who think that it's exotic,
(07:48):
and yeah, it's a little beyond what most people's approach
might be, but still the USDA takes an interest in it.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
And how did that happen?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
How did it happen that you became a premier licensed
private animal encounter facility. We even knew that that was
something that existed, frankly, So.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
When you start buying exotic animals, they'll advertise that they
are a USDA licensed facility, and they'll say that some
will say they'll only sell to a USDA facility. So
before we start opening to the public and allowing tours,
we got a license. And something we're very proud of
(08:29):
about that license is we've had it since March of
twenty twenty three is when we opened, and we have
had zero write ups or violations or warnings in any way,
shape or form, and we're extremely proud of that, and
we have a good relationship with our USDA agent.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Communication is good.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
I respect his suggestions or products that he's talked about
that he's seen the other facilities. I personally feel like
it's a really good advantage to us to have someone
come to our facility that goes to so many facilities
and suggests something or say I like that you did
(09:14):
it this way or something along those lines, because I
don't really I go to other facilities, but I don't
go to anything that I can necessarily learn from the
equipment they use, or the type of hamdifier they use,
or other type of feeding products that they use. So
I'm really thankful for that agent and other agents that
(09:38):
have been here that are so cooperative and work so well,
and respect the fact that we're doing what we're doing,
because a lot of places aren't doing the same quality
that we are.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
No.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
But I think again, the underscore here in part is
that the USDA has licensed you, and the USDA is
looking into it. I find, at least in my neck
of the woods, where there are fewer and fewer farms
all the time. That's one of the things I was
talking about earlier on the program in the news department.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Where we are in terms.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Of stats, how many people are actually farming, how much
acreage and these sorts of things.
Speaker 2 (10:13):
Are rare, to be sure, but we're.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Because we're losing farms right and left in my neck
of the woods. The essence of people coming around to
actually understand what we're doing. The locals don't and sometimes
they have good suggestions, common sense suggestions. Sometimes they want
to do stuff that's ridiculous and I push back because
they don't know what they're doing, and so it's kind
(10:38):
of cool that we find out something. And that again,
I've been around on the farm all my life, and
I never knew it was such a thing as a
private animal encounter facility. Although that's something that I'm contemplating
doing in part on my farm.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
So that's lesson number one.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
What part of Ohio is the animals that you have?
They may need to license you.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yes, yeah, Shelby, Ohio. Where is that in relationship to
Cincinnati and Dayton and Cleveland and Toledo.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Okay, so we are in the middle of Columbus and Cleveland,
our nearest larger town would be Mansfield, Right, So.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
You're on seventy what is that seventy one seventy seven.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
I'm trying to remember which route that is that goes
across seventy one.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
But you gotta take a few backgrounds.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Yeah, I bet you do. So what do you have
to have for equipment? What sort of things? Is this
normal farm equipment that you need or do you have
to have some things that are special that are just
for the kinds of things that you're doing. I mean,
it's not that this is the only thing that you
do it because you gotta run the farm and raise
the feed. How much of the feed for these animals
(11:49):
do you raise.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
On your own?
Speaker 3 (11:50):
So we have a garden, but I think we have
twelve garden beds, but we can't grow enough produce. We
still have to buy in the summertime, I do a
Walmart drop order or lettuce potatoes like sweet potatoes, zucchini, squash, celery,
(12:14):
probably four times a week.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
But this is good because it instructs as too if
people want to do this sort of thing, what sort
of food you got to have? What kind of feed
you need for these various animals?
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Like what does an otter eat.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
So the otters get two different types of grain. One
is one that you have to have a prescription for.
It's a cat urinary tract because they are very prone
to urinary infections. One is a ferret grain because they
are a ferret and they get squashed zucchini, potato, sweet potatoes,
(12:50):
and then they get so much fish versus how much
they weigh, and then a bag of fish is twenty
bucks I go or two bags a day.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Well, hopefully you've.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Got Obviously you're in business and you're able to keep
things going. I'm sure that there are people who are
donating to keep you going as well. I want to
continue this conversation for a few more minutes with you,
Lynn Westmeister, who is from Westmeister Farm. Go to Westmeister
w E S T M E I S T e
R Westmeister dot com to get the full picture, or
(13:27):
at least more of the picture. Right now, speaking of pictures,
I want to talk about how you're doing in the
weight department as we are sort of in the middle
of the holidays season, as there are a lot of
Christmas parties starting this week. I'm sure for a lot
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what are you doing to sort of push off the
inevitable weight gain. Well, my suggestion remains as it has
(13:51):
been for years and years and years, and that's to
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unless you're working on a program. And this is a
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Speaker 1 (16:30):
Back here with Lynn Westmeister from the Westmeister Farm in Shelby, Ohio.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Did you grow up in a farm?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
You a farm kid, Lynn, No, we.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Did live in the country, but we didn't have farm animals.
We did get horses when I was probably sixteen mm.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Hm and so you're familiar with So what gave you
the idea to do this?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
You you started to tell me that story.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
By the way, if you're interested, you go to the
website that I suggest w E S T N E
I S T e R dot com. If you're from
some place in Ohio, listening to this, or you want
to go and see how it works for your own benefit,
your schedule, an appointment online is pretty easy to do that,
and you do these around the all year long, right,
(17:18):
everybody can get in.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
It's a two hour guided tour, so you see twenty
different species and there's a guide there to help you
interact with each animal, get pictures for.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
You, and educate you on the animals.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
The conservation, the behavior of the animal, how the animal
is taken care of.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
For that two hours.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Yeah, I think that this is something because people are
so distant. Again back to the reference that I made
earlier in the program to the number of farms that
we used to have and don't have now and the.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Number of people.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
I just I'm kind of I'm distracted in my own
the neck of the Woods, because I'm really the last
farmer in my community, and for a number of communities
around we become a bedroom Well we have our own
industry here, but we're also a bedroom community for Greater
Boston and Worcester. So the land is becoming increasingly valuable
(18:18):
and it becomes less and less attractive, especially with the
realities of not necessarily what you're going through, but the
average farmer isn't making any money or isn't making much money,
and it makes it very difficult to continue these operations.
So in your circumstance, it would seem that you not
only have the support of the people who come in
(18:39):
book tours and that sort of thing, but you also
have some public support, do you not?
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I'm assuming that you do.
Speaker 1 (18:46):
I shouldn't assume that do you have some sort of
public support that helps you go fundraisers and that.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
We are not a five ozho one C because government standards.
You don't own your animals if you're fi will and
see and I won't let go of my animals because
they are they are mine. I'm very bonded to them.
They're very bonded to our staff. So that is why
we're an our five oh one C. We still have
to have plans in certain aspects, like you spoke about
(19:17):
earlier about.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
The next generation and things, and then.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
The public they do bring us some of the snacks
that people see on videos that the animals interact with,
like the vegetables or animal cockers, goats, things like that,
and that's very very helpful. We are thankful for that.
But no, my husband still has a real job and
(19:44):
still has to pay for everything.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
Well, God love your husband.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Well, it's a nice story, and it's kind of a
good time of year to be able to bring this
sort of thing to the public's attention into other farmers attention.
Lynn Westmeister from the Westminster Farm, I'm and Shelby, Ohio
with a great story. Check it out at westmeister dot com.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Thank you, Lynn, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
This program was produced at Bobksound and Recording.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Please visit bobksound dot com.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
The American Family Farmer podcast sponsored in part by Caldron,
which is the safe way for you to lose weight
and keep it off.
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